12. Check temperature of oil and lye often. The mixture should be no less
than 90 degrees and no more than 110 degrees when mixing.

13. Slowly pour oils into lye and liquid mixture. Both the oil and the lye mixture
should be the same temperature when combined.

14. Place the mixing bowl in an ice bath and blend mixture with a stick
blender until combined. Don’t use a traditional blender or KitchenAid-style
mixer.

15. Add essential oils, fragrance oils and botanicals – one or more ounces
per 50 ounces of combined liquids works well.

16. Blend with stick blenders until it reaches a stage known as “trace” –
which looks and feels like thin pudding.

17. Pour into prepared mold. There is no need to grease the mold.

18. Put up your feet and enjoy a cup of tea! Cover the mold (or not – it’s
up to you) and allow to sit for at least 24 hours undisturbed before demolding
and cutting. After 24 hours, the lye is no longer caustic. If you’re cutting
the soap, don’t wait more than 48 hours for easiest cutting.

Want to use your soap right away? As long as it has been 24 hours or more,
feel free to use it right away!

If you plan to wrap your soap, let it cure for two weeks to allow the soap
to shrink. Don’t use plastic – it isn’t pretty, and you can’t smell your soap
through it!

First Aid tips

DO NOT SWALLOW LYE. If you or someone else does, immediately call 911 and
Poison Control.

If your skin is exposed to lye, wipe off the excess with a dry cloth and rinse
with water for 10 minutes.

Resouces

The Chemistry Store: www.chemistrystore.com – a good
source for lye. They will also answer any questions you have about chemicals.

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